In the front parking lot, Josh Jansen throws a baseball to Chad Canup, who throws it to John Colligan.

It's 90 degrees at 5 p.m. on a recent Monday and the guys are in shorts and sunglasses. They are playing ball at home, the Dover Township Volunteer Fire Department, after practicing forcible entry with a halligan bar in the gym. When the guys aren't answering fire calls or taking classes, they entertain themselves the best way they know how.

The fire company is a little different than most in the area because 11 members live at the department. The program took off in 2007.

Dorm rooms hold a bed and dresser and are separated by thin dividers that don't quite touch the ceiling. They are packed in two spaces in the department and bathrooms are shared.

Dover Township firefighters Josh Jansen, right, and Chad Canup, goof around while hanging out in the community kitchen with fellow live-in firefighter Malcolm Schroeder. (DAILY RECORD JASON PLOTKIN )

The township doesn't pay for anything more than what they would without live-ins, Deputy Chief Brian Widmayer said. Air conditioning, heat and electricity would all be expenses with or without the live-in program. Live-ins must pay for food, laundry and any other personal needs.

It's like a frat house without alcohol - that's how most volunteer firefighters describe the live-in program.

"House" visitors will find 13 brown recliners, a 52-inch TV, an outdoor firepit on a new cement patio (that was donated) and walls filled with embarrassing Facebook photos.

"When they move in, none of them know how to cook, do laundry or clean," Widmayer said.

It's a 20-something group of guys that sleep, eat, play Pingpong, get fit, watch Spike TV - and fight fires together.

"I wish more fire departments would run that way," live-in Malcolm Schroeder said. "We are always together and bonding."

When the live-ins need to respond to a fire or emergency, the program makes sure there are always members who are able to take it.

All have work or school obligations outside of the department, because they are volunteers. But, Widmayer makes sure there is at least four men at the station at all times. They haven't failed a call in more than two years.

Dover Township firefighter Colin Harner talks about the photos and other objects on the Wall of Shame at the fire station where he lives. The 11 guys that stay there describe the live-in program like a fraternity without the alcohol, of course. (DAILY RECORD JASON PLOTKIN )

Before someone can move in as a volunteer firefighter, they must complete 110 hours of training. Once they move in, they can stay as long as they remain active.

Schroeder, 22, has been living at the station for two years and said because all of the live-ins are 20-somethings, they have common interests aside from fighting fires that bring them together.

"We are a very young department," Schroeder said. "Some of us have motorcycles and we will have a group motorcycle ride."

But, if they want a family or to pursue a career outside of the area, the volunteers must move out. Those that aren't members cannot stay in the dorms - that includes girlfriends, wives and children.

The move out is difficult for some guys. Widmayer said Chris Wertz, a live-in member who recently had to move out because his fiancée had a child, calls almost every day telling him how much he misses living there.

"Once they get here, they don't want to leave," Widmayer said.

Wertz still volunteers at the department, but he said it isn't quite the same. He still likes to sleep over when he is able. He said "it's not just a place to live, rent free" - the live-in program is full of trained guys that take their job seriously.

"It is good people," Wertz said. "You are always surrounded by guys you called your friends. The comradery is second to none."

While the 20-something live-ins are the skeleton of the department, there are an additional 30 volunteer members that are in and out of the department responding to calls, too. Fred Miller, who has been a member of the department for 52 years, hangs out at the fire house four days out of the week. He can usually be found in a recliner talking about his younger days running calls or watching "Judge Judy."

Brian Knowlton, 24, moved into the department in 2006. Now, live-ins must be 18 or older - but when he joined, members younger than 18 could get parent's permission to stay there. He said it's difficult to stay away.

"Nobody ever leaves the department," Knowlton said. "They still come and run calls."

About the live-in program

Dover Township Volunteer Fire Department started its live-in program in 1991 as a way to staff the firehouse around the clock while still limiting costs. The program didn't gain popularity until 2007 when its first group moved in. At that time, the firehouse could hold six live-ins. In 2011, eight more dorms were added.
Several other departments in the county offer a similar permanent live-in program. They include:

Leo Fire Company in Red Lion

West Manchester Township Fire Department Lincolnway station

Grantly Fire Department in Spring Garden Township

Goodwill Fire Department in York City

A sign teasing one of the live-in firefighters sits behind Deputy Chief Brian Widmayer in the living area of the fire station. (DAILY RECORD JASON PLOTKIN )